Candle with central core and stacked rings

ABSTRACT

A candle having a central axial core of candle fuel, preferably wax, a wick extending axially within the central core and a plurality of stacked rings disposed around the central core. The rings may be made of differing compositions, including differing coloring agents and scenting agents and preferably are slidable along the core so they are interchangeable.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

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REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally candles and more specifically, amultipart candle structure.

2. Description of the Related Art

Candles have been made and used as light sources for many years. Todayhowever, candles are popular home furnishings, used in decorating orenhancing the fragrance of an area. Candles are formed from a fuelsource, usually wax, having a consumable wick for burning.Traditionally, candles have been made to be a single unitary structure,having the same general shape, color and fragrance throughout thecandle.

One type of candle that is popular is the pillar candle. The distancebetween the center of the candle and the outer edge of the candle,combined with the wax melting point, enables the center of the candle toburn without burning to the outer edge of the candle. This combinationleaves an attractive peripheral wall and prevents molten wax fromrunning down the side of the candle and onto the display surface. Thisfeature makes this candle desirable for use in a variety of locationsbecause the exterior display surface will not be damaged during burningby overflowing wax and the candle light can show through the exterior ofthe candle.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,300 to Wohl et al. describes a method formanufacturing candles having a low melting point inner core and a highmelting point outer shell. The outer shell of this candle has a solidbottom, a hollow inside and a central opening for inserting the innercore. The design of this candle is to allow for a picture to showthrough the outer shell when the inner core is lit. However, althoughthe interior of this candle can be replaced, the exterior appearance ofthis candle is fixed and therefore can not be modified or designed bythe consumer.

Since using candles as home furnishings has become popular, it isdesirable to have a candle wherein the user can design his or her owncandle by selecting the color or fragrance or both of the candle tomatch a particular decor or holiday tradition or to satisfy personaltastes or creativity.

It is therefore an object and feature of the invention to provide acandle which allows the candle to be designed with selections from, andcombinations of, a diversity of colors, color combinations andfragrances all by using solid materials, thus avoiding the need to workwith molten wax or other liquid candle fuel.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a candle comprising: (a) a central axial core of candlefuel, (b) a wick extending axially within the central core, and (c) aplurality of stacked rings having an opening, for receipt of the centralcore, the rings being disposed around the central core. The bottom ofthe core may be flanged to form a base that rests on a surface fordisplay. The periphery of the candle is preferably circular cylindrical.The rings have differing compositions, which may include differentfragrances and coloring agent compositions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective illustrating a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective illustrating an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating a cut away portion of an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view in axial cross-section illustrating an alternativeembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective illustrating one ring of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 is a view in axial cross-section illustrating an alternativeembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view in perspective illustrating an alternative embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side view illustrating an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention.

In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention, which isillustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted tofor the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the inventionbe limited to the specific term so selected and it is to be understoodthat each specific term includes all technical equivalents, whichoperate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated inFIG. 1. The candle 10 has a central axial core 12 of candle fuel,preferably wax. A wick 14 extends axially within the central core 12 andprotrudes or extends from the top 13 of the core 12 for lighting of thewick by a user. The candle 10 further includes a plurality of stackedrings 15, 16 and 17 having an opening for receipt of the central core.The rings 15, 16 and 17 are disposed around the central core 12 andpreferably are slidably removable. It is preferred that the core 12 havea bottom flange extending radially to form a base 11 for resting upon asupport surface. The periphery of the candle 10 as shown in FIG. 1 iscircular cylindrical. However, a variety of geometrical shapes areavailable, such as square cylindrical or oval cylindrical.

Many alternative compositions of the core 12 are possible. The type ofwax used in the core 12 may vary. For example, gel wax, natural wax, ora petroleum product may be used in the core 12. In the preferredembodiment, one or more of the rings 15, 16 and 17 may have a meltingpoint substantially equal to the core 12, wherein both the rings 15, 16and 17 and the core 12 burn, like a traditional pillar candle.

Alternatively, the core 12 alone can have qualities like those of apillar candle, wherein the center of the core 12 can burn withoutburning to the outer edge of the core 12. It is the combination of thedistance between the center of the core 12 and the outer edge of thecore 12, combined with the wax melting point that allows this to occur.The rings 15, 16 and 17, in this alternative, have a high melting pointand are left intact, thus making the rings 15, 16 and 17 reusable. Inaddition, if the rings 15, 16 and 17 in this alternative contain afragrance, a high melting point wax will allow the scent to last longer,because the rings 15, 16 and 17 would not burn and therefore, thefragrance would volatilized slowly and dissipated into the air. Thescent would remain infused in the wax rings for a longer time enablingthe user to enjoy the scent for a longer period of time.

The core 12, in the preferred embodiment, extends a selected distanceabove an upper most stacked ring 15, which enables the user to moreeasily access the wick 14 for lighting. Alternatively, the core 12 canextend so that it is flush or level with the top of the upper-most ring15.

In the preferred embodiment, the core 12 has a bottom flange thatextends radially to form a base 11. The base 11 is made of wax having amelting point that is the same as the core 12 and is formed integrallyor unitarily with the core 12. If desired, a coloring agent or fragrancemay be infused in the base 11 that is substantially the same as thatused in the core 12.

Alternatively, the base 11 may be a separate structure from the core 12but mounted to it, such as by the friction fit of a cylindrical coreinto a conforming bore in the base. The base 11 may be made of waxhaving a melting point higher than the core 12. In this case, when thecore 12 burns down to a point near the base 11, depending on its meltingpoint, the base 11 (a) may not burn at all, (b) may burn only a smallamount, or (c) may burn to an outside wall leaving an unburned bottomsurface for seating upon the support surface. In addition, the base 11may have a different coloring agent or fragrance from the core 12.

As a further alternative, the core 12 and the base 11 may have differentcompositions. For example the base 11 may be made of a variety ofnon-flammable materials, such as glass, ceramic or metal, whereas thecore 12 may be comprised of wax or any variety of typical candlematerials. Here, the core 12 is seated within the base 11, which has acentral opening for mating slidable engagement with the core 12.Alternatively, the base 11 may have a flat upper surface on which thecore 12 rests and is therefore is not seated within an opening of thebase 11. This enables a user to easily change the base 11 to match aparticular home decor or holiday tradition.

A third alternative to the base 11 is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Acut away portion of FIG. 3 illustrates the bottom 21 of the core 22being the surface of the candle 20 that rests on a support surface (notshown) for display. Here, the bottom 21 of the core 22 is flat forstabilizing the candle 20 on the support surface. The candle 20 isfurther stabilized by the bottom ring 29, which also engages the displaysurface.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative to the wax core. In the alternative,the core is a solid, non-flammable container 32 having an outer wall 31with a fuel filled inner chamber 33 containing a wick 34, which issupported by a float 34A. The candle fuel oil and the wick 34 burn toproduce light, as in a conventional oil candle. The container 32 may bemade of a variety of suitable non-flammable solid materials, includingmetal, ceramic or glass. A variety of suitable fuel sources like thosetypically used in candles, including candle fuel oil, may be used in theinner chamber 33. In addition, the oil may be infused with a fragrance,or a coloring agent may be added to match a particular home decor orholiday tradition.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the ring 15. The ring 15 has engagingaxially spaced ends 18 and 19, which have mating surface contours forcongruent connection between the rings 15 and 16. Rings 16 and 17 alsohave corresponding ends, not shown in detail here. The upper end 18 andthe lower end 19 of the ring 15 are flat in the preferred embodiment.However, the ends 18 and 19 may be saw-toothed or a variety of otherengageable end surfaces. Alternatively, the ring 15 may have ends thatare not matingly engageable with other ring end surfaces.

The ring 15 has an opening 7, which has a diameter substantially equalto an outside diameter of the central core 12 for mating, slidableengagement along the core 12. Alternatively, the ring 15 can have anopening that has a diameter that is larger than the outside diameter ofthe core 12. For example, the diameter of the ring opening 7 may be verylarge in proportion to the outside diameter of the core 12, which may bevery small.

There are many possible variations to the ring composition. The rings15, 16 and 17 are made of wax in the preferred embodiment. However, therings 15, 16 and 17 can be made of a variety of other flammablematerials used in candles, including gel wax. The rings 15, 16 and 17may also be made of a variety of non-flammable materials, such asceramic or glass composite.

The rings 15, 16 and 17 may have different coloring agent compositions.There are a wide variety of coloring agents available for use in addingcolor to candles. It is common to use primary colors or any combinationthereof, to create a variety of colored candles. Each candle 10 may beassembled having rings 15, 16 and 17 of differing coloring agentcompositions. Additionally, the candle 10 may be assembled using rings15, 16 and 17 having coloring agent compositions that are substantiallythe same. This allows the user to create a color scheme to match anyroom decor, holiday season or to make a candle 10 using a combination ofone's favorite colors.

The rings 15, 16 and 17, like most candle waxes may be translucent sothat the light is diffused through the rings. The rings 15, 16 and 17can also be transparent, wherein light is transmitted withoutappreciable scattering.

Scented oil may be infused into the wax to give the rings 15, 16 and 17a fragrance. The oil infused wax when heated is volatilized, releasingthe scent into the air. Each of the rings 15, 16 and 17 may have afragrance different from the other rings so that the fragrance changesas the candle burns down. For example one ring may smell like cinnamon,another like vanilla, and a third like blueberry. These of course areonly a few examples of fragrances available. A variety of fragrances maybe used to scent the rings 15, 16 and 17. Additionally, the rings 15, 16and 17 may all have fragrances that are similar, thereby giving off asingle scent. Having a variety of fragrance options enables the user toassemble a candle 10 that caters to his or her favorite scent(s).

The radial thickness of the rings 15, 16 and 17 may vary, ranging fromvery thin to very thick. The rings 15, 16 and 17 may range in radialthickness from having little thickness, wherein the outside wall 6 is inclose proximity to the inner wall 5 to very thick rings 15, 16 and 17,having an outside wall 6 that is a radial distance quite distant fromthe inner wall 5. The radial thickness may vary in accordance with thetype of material used in creating the rings 15, 16 and 17.

The axial thickness or height of the rings 15, 16 and 17 may also vary.The rings 15, 16 and 17 may range in axial thickness from having littlethickness, appearing almost flat when viewed from the side, to beingvery thick, the rings 15, 16 and 17 appearing to be as wide as they aretall. The axial thickness of the rings 15, 16 and 17 can also vary in asingle candle wherein one ring can be very thin, a second can be ofmedium thickness and a third can be very thick.

The rings 15, 16 and 17 in the preferred embodiment are solid circularcylinders with a central opening. However, the rings 15, 16 and 17 maybe congruent discontinuous segments, each segment being engageable witha next segment to form a ring. For example, one segment could be 270° ofa full ring and a second segment could make up the remaining 90° of afull ring, so that when the segments are engaged, the ring is complete.The segments may also be interlocking, wherein each segment has a notchor opening for interlocking with another segment to form a ring. Thesegments may differ in their composition provided they are engageable.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the periphery of the rings 45, 46 and 47 issubstantially in conformity with the periphery of the base 41. Havingthe two peripheries substantially the same brings uniformity to thecandle 40. Alternatively, the base 41 may have a differing peripheryfrom the rings 45, 46 and 47, wherein the periphery of the base 41extends past the periphery of the rings 45, 46 and 47. Further, theperiphery of the rings 45, 46 and 47 may extend past the periphery ofthe base 41.

An axial cross-sectional view of at least one ring 56 is illustrated inFIG. 7. Here, the ring 56 has a recessed cavity 51 that matingly engagesthe base 41. This allows the base 41 to be hidden from view, whilemaintaining the mating engagement and uniformity of the rings 56 and 57.

An alternative to the preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 8. Here, theperiphery of the rings 65, 66 and 67 and the core 62 is squarecylindrical. However, the core 62 and the rings 65, 66 and 67 may havedifferent peripheries. For example, the core 62 may have a circularcylindrical periphery, while the rings 65, 66 and 67 have a squarecylindrical periphery. The rings 65, 66 and 67 being engageable with thecore 62, enables a user to interchange the core 62 and the rings 65, 66and 67, regardless of their peripheries.

FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative to the preferred embodiment, whereinthe proportional relationship between the radius of the core 70 ascompared to the axial thickness of the rings 73-80 provides a verydifferent aspect ratio than the other illustrated embodiments. Asillustrated, the diameter of the core 70 is very thick compared to theaxial thickness of the rings 73-80, which is proportionally thinner.However, the diameter of the core 70 may be thin and the axial thicknessof the rings 73-80 may be proportionally thicker as illustrated in FIG.1.

While certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendisclosed in detail, it is to be understood that various modificationsmay be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention orscope of the following claims.

1. (canceled)
 2. A candle in accordance with claim 18, wherein the ringsare of differing compositions.
 3. A candle in accordance with claim 2,wherein the rings have differing coloring agent compositions.
 4. Acandle in accordance with claim 2, wherein the rings have differingfragrances.
 5. (canceled)
 6. A candle in accordance with claim 18,wherein the core has a lower melting point from the rings.
 7. A candlein accordance with claim 2, wherein the rings have engaging ends thathave mating surface contours.
 8. A candle in accordance with claim 18,wherein the rings have a circular cylindrical periphery.
 9. A candle inaccordance with claim 18, wherein the rings have a square cylindricalperiphery.
 10. (canceled)
 11. A candle in accordance with claim 18,wherein the core extends a selected distance above an upper-most stackedring.
 12. A candle in accordance with claim 18, wherein the core has abottom flange extending radially to form a base.
 13. A candle inaccordance with claim 12, wherein the base has a melting point higherthan the core.
 14. A candle in accordance with claim 12, wherein thebase is comprised of wax.
 15. A candle in accordance with claim 12,wherein the base is comprised of a non-flammable solid.
 16. A candle inaccordance with claim 12, wherein the periphery of the rings issubstantially in conformity with the periphery of the base.
 17. A candlein accordance with claim 12, wherein at least one ring has a recessedcavity that is matingly engageable around the base.
 18. A candlecomprising: (a) a central, axial core of candle fuel having a wickextending axially within the central core; and (b) a plurality of candlefuel rings, each of the rings having an opening receiving andsurrounding the axial core and slidable along the core, the rings beingarranged in a stack around the central core.